What are the tank's dimensions please?
What chemicals have you used?
How do you want it to look?

Tank is 36 inches wide x 24" tall by 12" The chemicals I have used in it are called "Prime" when I started my new tank (and which I add when I do a water change - it's supposed to keep up the bacteria levels) "Stability" from Seachem. which is supposed to facilitate the breakdown of waste organics, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. I use one capful per gallon each time I do a water change. I also use "Flourish" also by Seachem - 2.5 ml once a week for my plants.

I'd like to get my vallisnaria on the right hand side to thicken up a little; or I might get another limnophelia to thicken the growth behind that small rock formation in the photo. A few more background plants would help.

Hopefully the small hairgrasses in the front will fill in a little. Apart from that, I plan to keep the mid-section as open as possible. My ultimate goal is to have a quiet community tank - so far everyone seems to be getting along. I have no fin-nippers, and my assassin snails keep any other 'snail life' down to nil. Since it's a low-light tank, I can't have any of the brighter coloured plants. I used your garden section for ideas and then planned on the plants from there. It was a great help.

If I can get my nitrate levels as close to zero, I will be a very happy tank owner. I've gotten a lot of ideas and help from the forum, AND I have learned a great deal, for which I am very grateful. _________________Ursa

Prime has it's place but it is affecting your test kit readings. Don't bother with stability and the palnt food is not going to help with so little light.
I make the total volume of your tank to be 44 gallons - What is your actual water volume after decor?

This tank is very low light - that bulb over 15" of water would be low light and your's has lots more water to get through. Your limnophelia is showing signs of lack of light. it is a medium light plant.

You would do better with Java ferns and crypts, vallis may be OK, hairgrass won't thrive.

You store has misadvised you with the fish selection. They should be in groups and not pairs. What species is the plec?

Then they tell me what I'm allowed to have, and refuse to sell me stock if the levels aren't up to par. I have come home empty-handed several times

THAT'S awesome..you don't find that around here with petco/petsmart.

Now before I go further I want to discuss your substrate. Gravel (large) isn't really ideal for a planted tank. You see the plants also pull nutrients from the soil (ie poop / root tabs or fertile substrate). You can try with the gravel if you want, but it will be difficult.

Now Vals only need 2 things to thrive. Decent lighting and Nitrates.

Light isnt as critical when dealing with LOW LIGHT plants like crypts, vals, and ferns...Ferts are more important to ward off algae. If you want to stick with the lighting you have that's perfectly OK, but you have to plants according to your light. The anubias will be fine, and so will the java fern and is that PennyWort? Pull the hairgrass, it will not work, 1. because of the lighting and 2. because of the substrate.

You have a couple of limiting factors 1. lighting 2. substrate. This doesn't mean you have to go out and get new lighting, all it means is again you have to plants according to your light and substrate.

Keep up on the Nitrogen, and dose Excel (less than recommended because of the Vals) and dose Flourish, that's all you need. Every Third day for Flourish and Excel, as far as the Nitrogen... as needed.

Prime has it's place but it is affecting your test kit readings. Don't bother with stability and the palnt food is not going to help with so little light.
I make the total volume of your tank to be 44 gallons - What is your actual water volume after decor? This tank is very low light - that bulb over 15" of water would be low light and your's has lots more water to get through. Your limnophelia is showing signs of lack of light. it is a medium light plant.

You would do better with Java ferns and crypts, vallis may be OK, hairgrass won't thrive.

You store has misadvised you with the fish selection. They should be in groups and not pairs. What species is the plec?

The tank, I believe, is 36 gallons. I have about 1-1/2" small gravel substrate. My light hood tells me I have to use a 36" 20 watt bulb. My living room faces east, so there's a lot of reflected light in the day time until around noon. Hairgrass seems to be putting out shoots. I'd have to get a new hood if I wanted to use a brighter light, I guess.

When I bought the fish, they were priced three for $xxx. I think my population is maxed. If you think I could improve my population by making my groups into shoals, please advise. Isn't the rate 1 fish per gallon of water? I can't remember the specs.

It's an albino bristlenose pleco, and I was told that he only gets to be about 2 - 3 inches, max._________________Ursa

Then they tell me what I'm allowed to have, and refuse to sell me stock if the levels aren't up to par. I have come home empty-handed several times

THAT'S awesome..you don't find that around here with petco/petsmart.

Now before I go further I want to discuss your substrate. Gravel (large) isn't really ideal for a planted tank. You see the plants also pull nutrients from the soil (ie poop / root tabs or fertile substrate). You can try with the gravel if you want, but it will be difficult.

Now Vals only need 2 things to thrive. Decent lighting and Nitrates.

Light isnt as critical when dealing with LOW LIGHT plants like crypts, vals, and ferns...Ferts are more important to ward off algae. If you want to stick with the lighting you have that's perfectly OK, but you have to plants according to your light. The anubias will be fine, and so will the java fern and is that PennyWort? Pull the hairgrass, it will not work, 1. because of the lighting and 2. because of the substrate.

You have a couple of limiting factors 1. lighting 2. substrate. This doesn't mean you have to go out and get new lighting, all it means is again you have to plants according to your light and substrate.

Keep up on the Nitrogen, and dose Excel (less than recommended because of the Vals) and dose Flourish, that's all you need. Every Third day for Flourish and Excel, as far as the Nitrogen... as needed.

I don't deal with Petland/Petsmart, as I've noticed they seem to have too many "casualties" in their tanks, plus an overabundance of pond snails!

What kind of product is Excel? Is it the same as "Stability"? My substrate is only about 1-1/2" deep, and is small gravel.

What am I to do with my hairgrass? It seems to be putting out shoots. The tank faces a light colored wall that gets the morning sun reflecting on it until at least noon. According to the tags I have in my hot little hand, I have: Microsum 'windelev'; Lilaeopsis brasillensis; Cryptocoryne wendtii; Vallisneria americana 'mini twister' ; an Anubias that's my pride and joy; Eleocharis parvula (I guess that's my hairgrass) and 2 Limnophila sessiliflora, and Cladophora aegagrophila (a moss ball that I'm rather fond of, and my assassin snails seem to be breeding beneath it).
Thanks for all your help. All this is new to me, and I thought I'd done the right amount of research._________________Ursa

Excel is made by Seachem the same company that makes flourish and other planted product. It is a Carbon suppliment, you see plants/trees take in CARBON and release oxygen. Some carbon can be achieved from live stock but not enough for the plants. So excel puts carbon into the tank.

Excel is made by Seachem the same company that makes flourish and other planted product. It is a Carbon suppliment, you see plants/trees take in CARBON and release oxygen. Some carbon can be achieved from live stock but not enough for the plants. So excel puts carbon into the tank.

If the hair grass is doing something THEN leave it.

"and I thought I'd done the right amount of research" We all did

It will be OK.

Whew! That's a relief! I was beginning to think I was a real "doughnut!" I'll pick up some Excel when I'm at my fish place. Right now it's too cold to go anywhere!_________________Ursa

The tank dimensions make it more than 36 gallons but it probably only holds about 35g of water.

The stocking rate is not one fish per gallon - more like 3 gallons per fish for the species you have. This means you would need to exchange some to get species appropriate numbers.

The bristlenose is fine.

Oh dear! I think I'm going to have to maintain my population status quo for the time being. Just got laid off, and finances are going to be a wee bit on the tight side. I don't think I'll be able to exchange them, and everyone seems to be getting along with one another, so I'll replace them when I have the $$. I'm glad my "Mr. Bristles is okay". He's absolutely magnificent. Saw one in the large tank at my fish place, and tried not to drool! Took me some time before they "allowed" me to purchase one! Had to make sure the tank was in decent shape for the rest of the population. I'd like to have more of the rainbows, as they are a gorgeous indigo colour. My tank is sort of a "blue" theme, and with my cardinal tetras the rainbows show off the colours beautifully.

Keep your fingers crossed; I'll get the hang of this yet! Don't give up on me. _________________Ursa